Six Winters
by Marin Liliz
Summary: Six takes on Zack and Cloud; life, love and relationship, under the theme of Winter. M/M
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do not own Final Fantasy VII and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters©Square Enix

Entry for SpookyDaedalus' from Y!Gallery, ZackxCloud contest themed: "Winter".

I must apologise to all the hard-core fans of ZackxCloud for any and all discrepancies from the original story. it's been too long since I've played Final Fantasy VII or seen Last Order and I haven't had he chance to play Crisis Core, so there's bound to be somethings that don't add up.

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.:happy:

--

So I ended up in third place in the overall contest and the prize was a drawing by SpookyDeadalus himself, which is a really big treat because he's a brilliant artist.

He asked me what I wanted drawn and I requested a scene from the fic. He choose this bit from chapter 2:

"_Unconsciously, Zack raised a hand to the tormented lip, rescuing it from the assaulting white teeth. Soothing the afflicted area with his thumb_(...)"

and this was the amazing result: http : / pics . livejournal . com / marinliliz / pic / 00007 ysc (sorry for the spaces but otherwise ff . net cripples the links and you won't be able to see this)

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**SIX WINTERS**

1.

"Cloud Strife!?" A voice that sounds inquisitive, says from the locker room door.

Cloud raises his head from tying his ShinRa issued boots and looks in the direction of the warm voice inquiring after him. "Yes. I'm Cloud Strife."

A handsome, dark-haired and strangely familiar SOLDIER, leaning against the door frame, looks at him, skeptically. "You are Cloud Strife?"

"Yes!" Cloud answers with a defying tone.

The dark-haired SOLDIER smirks and looks him from above in a mocking stare. "You're kind a short for SOLDIER, aren't you?"

Cloud rises, unconsciously trying to stand taller and snarls, indignantly, "what's it to you?"

The man enters the room with an extended, welcoming hand, introducing himself: "Zack Fair. You're in my squad and you're late," he chides. "You should be out there, by now, with the rest of the trainees."

Cloud takes the outstretched hand; paling with the realization the man is his superior, but the warm smile matching the voice and the kind eyes, settle his fears. Instead he asks, "are you the squad leader?"

"Nope, I'm just the training officer. Sephiroth's the leader."

"Really!?"

"Oh no! Not another Sephiroth fan," the squad trainer exclaims and theatrically raises his hands in defeat. "Yeah really, peanut! Now, if I were you I'd hurry. He isn't into undisciplined and lazy soldiers."

Cloud huffs at the accusation, but catches himself before saying anything he might regret, remembering the man is a superior and simply replies, "Yes."

"It should be '_Yes, sir._' to you." The officer points to the first class insignia. "Got it private?" he asks, not hiding his grin.

"Yes, sir," Cloud answers, reluctantly.

"Good, now hurry." Zack says moving to the door. "Oh, and dress warmly. It's freezing outside." He adds, turning back and smiling, "Welcome to SOLDIER, Cloud!"

March2008©MarinLiliz

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do not own Final Fantasy VII and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters©Square Enix

Thanks for the review Ardwynna Morrigu

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.:happy:

* * *

**SIX WINTERS**

2.

"And here I thought you were a Sephiroth fan!" Zack stared at deep blue eyes and at the almost cold-purple lips that had kissed him just now.

"Well, apparently you thought wrong." The lips quirked up in a small smile and a set of sharp teeth bit down the lower one.

Unconsciously, Zack raised a hand to the tormented lip, rescuing it from the assaulting white teeth. Soothing the afflicted area with his thumb, he asked, just to be utterly certain, "Is that so?"

"It is." The lips opened into a luminous, wide grin.

"Show me again, how you're not a Sephiroth fan." Zack begged, still not completely convinced of his luck.

Cloud leaned closer, placing a soft, fleeting kiss to the partially open, cold-pale lips.

"You're going to have to be a bit more persuasive than that." Zack held onto Cloud, savoring the warmth of the body close to his and their mingling, white breaths, laughing loudly in the icy chill of the night.

"Oh, really?" The lips returned the blissful laugh.

"Definitely!"

March2008©MarinLiliz


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do not own Final Fantasy VII and will not make a profit out of this fic. All characters©Square Enix

Thanks for reviews:

Jediempress - Keeping it up;at first I also thought I couldn't do little drabbles with sense, lately is all I write, so go figure. ;

Ardwynna Morrigu - More Cloud this time;

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.

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**SIX WINTERS**

3.

"You're so gonna pay for this!" Cloud screamed as another snowball hit his head, adding even more water to his already dripping wet hair.

They'd been at it for several minutes now, the relentless fight to determine the supreme champion of snowball throwing, simply managing to get wetter by the minute.

Another ball flew just right past his ear and he yelled back across the distance between them, "missed!"

Only to have another one hit him square in the face. He licked the ice from his frozen lips and growled.

"So paying for this with interests!"

Zack kept smirking and throwing iced balls in Cloud's direction, hitting less and less as the laughing fit, triggered by the state of Cloud's spiky hair –now sinking, limply to his face - increased.

Cloud took his chance when he noted Zack was distracted, gathering more snow to produce more ammo; crouching and moving slowly, and hopefully stealthily, he approached the dark-haired SOLDIER, throwing him to the icy ground, pushing a handful of snow into his face and mouth, finalizing his attack by straddling Zack's hips.

"See? With interests!"

Zack smiled openly and ground his hips up into Cloud's. "Yes, with hard, hot interests." He grinned harder and pulled Cloud down into a melting kiss.

March2008©MarinLiliz


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is the reason that the fic is rated M! **

Thanks for the reviews:

Jediempress - this wasn't beta so there's bound to be some typos. And Mako is on hell of an aphrodisiac

Tobi-Uchiha - I have a few drabbles in present tense, mainly because I was tired of the 3rd person past form, that's everywhere. I've been a Sephiroth fangirl for ages, so this is a new take for me, but well I always thought Sephiroth was too much for loud to handleXD

Tuxedo's Mask -xox- - more winters comin'

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.

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**SIX WINTERS**

4.

"Soldier, we're supposed to be on patrol!" Zack all but yelled when Cloud pressed him against a cold wall of a lonely alley, hidden from the empty – at this late hour – Main Street; greedily kissing him out of air.

"It's too damn cold to be out here. No one's gonna do anything in this awful, freezing weather. Might as well warm up," Cloud replied, as he pulled at Zack's uniform, trying to get his frozen hands on warm skin.

"It's so cold and you wanna undress me?" Zack hissed as the algid hands made contact with his skin, drawing his clothes up and exposing his chest to the cold air.

But the hands moved in steady, kneading movements and slowly Zack was warming up.

"Shut up! I'll have you warm enough in no time." Cloud murmured against Zack's neck, his breath warm in the white skin, forming hundreds of small irregular bumps, that Cloud could feel with his calloused hands, making the black-haired man trembled with the touch.

The blond's hands trailed down from the chest to Zack's belt, opening it with a forceful tug, exposing the hardened, hot member to the cold night.

Zack gave in, his desire rising with Cloud's insistent advances, his hands holding the blond's face, kissing him deep, seeking the heat of his mouth, the warmth of his tongue.

His hands slid down from the flushed face, down his chest and Zack too, forcefully tried to open Cloud's trousers. Desperate to feel the warmth encased within.

Both shivered as their erections were removed from their cozy protection to the hard, biting cold. The blinding desire overtaking them; pulling them closer, their hardness rubbing against each others'.

Hips thrusting in time and rhythm; hands joining the mix, adding extra sensation to their already heightened senses.

Conclusion reached too soon but not a moment too late.

They panted into each other's mouths:

"God!"

"Hmm…"

"That was…"

"Yeah…"

The gelid air of the winter night had been completely forgotten.

March2008©MarinLiliz


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for reviews: Jediempress - I have a feeling Sephiroth had to cover for them loads of timesXD

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.

* * *

**SIX WINTERS**

5.

The lay quietly in the warm bed of the cozy cottage where they've spent this small vacation, tucked in colorful and comfortable linens; the fire crackling in the hearth and the heavy wind rattling the shutters, the only sounds disrupting their post-coital haze.

Their chest still heaving from the love they just made; spit and cum and sweat still warm and trailing down their skins'; their bodies still connected and seeming discouraged and reluctant to part from what feels like their natural position. They lay together in peace and calm and love.

"Do we really have to go? Can't we stay another day?" Cloud begs softly. "Stay forever?"

"I wish. We have to present ourselves tomorrow at headquarters. There's this hush-hush mission to Nibelheim; there's been some weird things popping up around that area."

"Hmm…" Cloud pouts.

"So, how does it feel to go back home?"

There's silence for awhile before Cloud finally answers, as if he was pondering how or what to answer. "I don't know. It doesn't really feel like home anymore."

Zack holds him close, kissing his temple and inhaling the familiar scent of Cloud's skin.

"You are home, not that place. That's what it feels like."

The revelation stuns Zack. "I love you. I don't think I ever told you that did I?"

"I don't think so."

They hug and roll on the bed, searching a more comfortable position and slumber into the night.

"Better sleep, then."

"Hmm, yeah."

"Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight, home."

March2008©MarinLiliz


	6. Chapter 6

Last winter. Beware of severe angst.

Thank you all, who took the time to read and leave a review, they were much appreciated;

Ardwynna Morrigu

Jediempress

Tobi-Uchiha

Tuxedo's Mask -xox-

hygin88

Enjoy and don't be shy, leave your thoughts, corrections and/or suggestions.

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**SIX WINTERS**

6. 

White and gray droplets of iced water fall from the ashen sky turning everything blank and frozen and _dead_.

DEAD, just like him.

The cold wind blows the white from the top of the trees, dragging it down to the immense mantle of snow, covering the horizon. Bitter and numbing and _dead_.

DEAD, just like him.

The whiteness swirls around him in a fierce howl, strong enough to bring him to his knees, strong enough to keep him on his knees and turn his tears into icicles. Chill and frosted and _dead_.

DEAD, just like him.

He falls face down on the white, cool surface - hopefully forgotten - and waits the dark to come over him and take him from the sharp, gelid frost his heart has become. Algid, iced, broken and _dead_.

DEAD, just like Zack.

**END**

March2008©MarinLiliz


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